I, objecting to the shedding of precious blood in
such behoof, did prevent such a lamentable and inhuman action by
stealthily throwing him by night from his cabbin window into the
sea--where, owing to the inconceivable distance of the ship from shore,
he was presently drowned. Which untoward fate had a great effect upon
my fortunes, since, burthening myself with his goods and effects, I
found in his chest a printed proclamation from an aged and infirm
clergyman in the West of England covenanting that, for the sum of two
crowns, he would send to whoso offered, the chart of an island of great
treasure in the Spanish Main, whereof he had had confession from the
lips of a dying parishioner, and the amount gained thereby he would use
for the restoration of his parish church. Now I, reading this, was
struck by a great remorse and admiration for our late Captain, for that
it would seem that he was, like myself, a staunch upholder of the
Protestant Faith and the Church thereof, as did appear by his
possession of the chart, for which he had no doubt paid the two good
crowns. As an act of penance I resolved upon finding the same island
by the aid of the chart, and to that purpose sailed East many days, and
South, and North, and West as many other days--the manner whereof and
the latitude and longitude of which I shall not burden the reader with,
holding it, as a plain, blunt man, mere padding and impertinence to
fill out my narrative, which helpeth not the general reader. So, I
say, when we sighted the Island, which seemed to be swarming with
savages, I ordered the masts to be stripped, save but for a single sail
which hung sadly and distractedly, and otherwise put the ship into the
likeness of a forlorn wreck, clapping the men, save one or two, under
hatches. This I did to prevent the shedding of precious blood, knowing
full well that the ignorant savages, believing the ship in sore
distress, would swim off to her with provisions and fruit, bearing no
arms. Which they did, while we, as fast as they clomb the sides,
despatched them at leisure, without unseemly outcry or alarms. Having
thus disposed of the most adventurous, we landed and took possession of
the island, finding thereon many kegs of carbuncles and rubies and
pieces of eight--the treasure store of those lawless pirates who infest
the seas, having no colour of war or teaching of civilisation to atone
for their horrid deeds.

I discovered also, by an omission in t